In the End
by ProcrastinationQueen
Summary: An attempt to fill in at least a couple of the blanks in "The Last Word". Missing scenes starting with what happened after Brenda shot Stroh.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I'm posting this in parts rather than as an extended 1-shot as planned as it's gotten longer than I anticipated. I guess this could be considered a prequel, more or less, to my other story, Making a Change, in addition to filling in missing scenes from "The Last Word". I did write Making a Change before the episode aired though.

NOTE: 11-99 is dispatch code for officer needs help

* * *

Chapter 1:

The radio crackled at LAPD Headquarters.

"All available units, 11-99, 3882 North Ridgecrest, 90036." The message was quickly relayed to the Major Crimes unit.

The faces of the squad registered alarm as they recognized the address. No words were spoken as they ran from the murder room. In two minutes, the squad was in their respective vehicles en route to Brenda and Fritz's duplex.

The radio crackled again.

"Attention all units, 11-99 in progress, 3882 North Ridgecrest, shots have been fired."

Fear shot through the detectives as they rocketed through the streets of LA.

"Damn it! Damn it! Faster!" Flynn exclaimed, pounding his fists on the dashboard.

"I've got the gas to the floor!" Sanchez replied as he willed the car to move faster. "Holy Mother, please let her be alright," he prayed silently.

Countless squad cars streaked into the neighborhood, lights flashing and sirens screaming. Officers were surrounding the building when the detectives of Major Crimes pulled up. They pulled on bullet proof vests as they ran toward the house.

Quickly organizing with some of the other officers, they charged into the house. They rammed open the front door and streamed into the home, guns drawn. "LAPD!"

They moved through the house room to room. In the kitchen, they found Rusty clutching his bleeding leg and their Chief holding her weapon on her assailant, who was gasping for breath while lying in a spreading pool of his own blood. They were shocked to see it was Philip Stroh.

Gabriel approached Brenda, trying to assess for potential injuries. "Chief?" He reached for her gun, which was still trained on Stroh. She flinched away from him, but didn't take her eyes or weapon off her target.

Two EMS units arrived, with Captain Raydor right behind them. Seeing the scene secured, she entered the house. She found the Flynn, Gabriel, Provenza, and Sanchez circled around Brenda.

"Captain. It's Stroh. Bastard's still alive," Flynn informed her as EMTs moved to treat both Stroh and Rusty.

Brenda still hadn't released her weapon, and Raydor looked at the detectives questioningly.

Gabriel leaned over and spoke to Raydor's ear. "She won't let us take the gun."

Raydor took in the panic on the chief's face, the way she was shaking. She was looking pretty shocky.

"Gentlemen, why don't you assist with documenting the scene." The men took the hint and moved off, shooting concerned glances back.

Like Gabriel had, Raydor approached Brenda, but she made no move to take her gun or otherwise touch her. She spoke softly.

"Chief Johnson? Why don't you give me your weapon?" She held out her hand. "Just hand me the gun. Please, Chief."

Brenda wouldn't take her eyes away from Stroh, watching as he was loaded onto a stretcher.

After the EMT's had taken him out, she continued to stare at the pool of blood on the floor. Raydor moved carefully, to avoid startling her, and tried block her line of sight.

"He's gone, Chief. You can release your weapon now. It's alright."

Brenda slowly lowered her arms, and Raydor took the gun. EMT's approached, and Brenda backed away from them. She raised her eyes to meet Raydor's. "You'll need my statement."

"That can wait, if..."

"No. No, I want to do this now."

"Chief… You may need medical attention. Have you been injured?"

"No. No, I'm fine…" She trailed off. Rusty had already been taken out by the other pair of EMTs. Someone should have gone with him, she thought absently. "Captain, can we please just get this done?" She just wanted to get this part over with as quickly as possible.

"Ok. Yes. We can do that."

Raydor pulled Provenza aside. "Where's Agent Howard?"

"DC. He went to personally expedite some of the stuff on Stroh and his victims."

"Well, he needs to be informed and get back here ASAP."

"I've already made the call," Provenza replied. Raydor nodded and guided Brenda into the living room to take her statement.

* * *

Fritz had just gotten to his hotel room a few minutes earler. He planned on taking a hot shower, then calling Brenda before collapsing into bed. He was heading to the bathroom for the shower when he heard the knock on the door. He glanced through the door's peep hole and saw a uniformed police officer. He opened the door to find two of DC's finest standing in the hall.

"Officers. What can I do for you?"

"Special Agent Fritz Howard?"

"Yes."

"Sir, we've been asked by LAPD to notify you..."

These were the words Fritz had long feared. He heard the blood rushing in his ears and grabbed the door frame for support. One of the officers reached to steady him as the other continued.

"...that your wife, a Deputy Chief Johnson, has been involved in an incident with a suspect in your home."

Fritz looked desperately at the officers. "What happened? Is she, is she ok?"

"We were told she wasn't seriously injured, but we are to escort you to the airport for an immediate return to Los Angeles. The FBI has arranged for you to take one of their jets."

The officers helped him gather his things together and he was in a squad car headed for the airport almost before he knew what was happening. It was a quick trip, since traffic was light at this late hour and the speeding squad car could make unimpeded progress. He was being directed toward the plane when his head began to clear a bit and he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Brenda's number.

It went to voice mail, and Fritz didn't bother to leave a message before dialing again, panic increasing with each passing moment. On the third ring of the fourth call, he got an answer. From Lt. Provenza.

"Lieutenant? Where's Brenda? Is she ok? Can I talk to her? What happened?"

"Slow down, slow down, Fritz. The Chief's giving her statement right now."

"Has she been hurt? Is she…"

"Hold on!", Provenza interrupted. "I'll answer all your questions. She's been roughed up a bit, but she doesn't appear injured. Just shaken. She's refused any medical attention."

Of course she did, Fritz thought.

Provenza continued "Now, as to what happened… That asshole Stroh broke in here, threatened our boy Rusty with a knife, and then attacked the Chief. She managed to get her gun and put a few holes in him."

"Did she kill him?"

"No. Damn it." Life would have been better if she had, he thought. "At least she managed to beat the crap out of him twice in one day."

"What?"

Oops, thought Provenza. He quickly recovered when he saw the chief finish up her statement. "Hold on. Here she is - I'll hand the phone over."

"Chief, it's Fritz." He held out the phone, and she hesitated. She knew she'd fall apart at the sound of his voice.

Provenza read the sentiment on her face. "Chief… He needs to hear you're ok." She nodded and took the phone, going into the bedroom.

"Fritz? I'm ok. I'm fine. Rusty was hurt, but he'll be ok."

Fritz could hear her voice shake, and she sounded slightly hysterical.

"Brenda, I'm on a flight right now. I'll be there in a couple of hours, ok?"

She wanted to weep with relief. So she did. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Don't, don't hang up. Can you stay on?"

"Yes."

"Just talk to me. About anything. Anything at all." She grabbed his pillow off the bed and hugged it, smelling him on it. It wasn't like being in his arms, but it would have to do for now. "I just, I need to hear your voice."

Oh, she did not sound all right. Not at all. "Brenda, what happened?"

She couldn't tell him, not now. Later she would, but right now everything threatened to overwhelm her. "Fritz, please, I can't… Just talk to me. Please."

So he talked. About DC (but not anything case-related), the plane, people he'd seen, stories from when he worked there years ago. He could tell she was crying, trying to suppress sobs, and he was terrified. What the hell had happened? But he worked to keep his voice calm, to give her what reassurance he could from 30,000 feet and thousands of miles away.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This could probably be considered chapter 1B, since it's still taking place the same night. I just had some trouble fleshing this out. I'm also probably getting stuff wrong, due to my general lack of knowledge of law enforcement and crime scene procedures, so please bear with any factual errors.

I know this is mainly supposed to be a Brenda/Fritz tale, but I wanted to include some the other characters too. I love her squad. And Brenda loves them and they love her. So I threw in a small bit about her boys trying to take care of her in their own way.

* * *

Part 2:

Provenza had taken charge of the crime scene. Raydor had gone to the hospital to check on Rusty and get his statement and the uniforms and most of the other personnel were clearing out, leaving a couple of officers from FID and SID who were still gathering evidence. Provenza gathered the men from Major Crimes around him.

"Ok", said Provenza. "Sanchez, go on to the hospital and keep an eye on Stroh. Make sure he's as uncomfortable as possible. Gabriel, find out when Fritz's flight lands and meet him at the airport. He's not going to be in any frame of mind to drive. Tao, find out what can clean up this mess without leaving a stain. The Chief won't want to see these blood stains here, and I want them gone before Fritz gets here, too. Flynn, there's a metric ton of paperwork that needs to be done. Head back downtown and get started on it. I'll stay here with the Chief 'til Fritz gets here." Tao, Sanchez, and Gabriel moved to comply with their orders. Flynn hung back.

"Fritz won't be here for hours."

"I know that. Are you suggesting we leave her here alone?"

"Of course not. But we can post some uniforms."

Provenza pointed to the FID officers and lowered his voice. "You want THEM poking around her home unsupervised? Someone's gotta keep an eye on them, and it might as well be me."

"Good point. I'll save some paperwork for you."

Provenza merely grunted a reply as Flynn went on his way.

Two minutes later, Flynn was back.

"Andy, paperwork."

"I'm going, but look who I found outside."

Provenza noticed the bundle of orange fur in Flynn's arms.

"Crap. Tao! Make sure all the windows and doors are shut. I'm not going to be responsible for anything happening to her cat."

"I'll take care of it, " Flynn said as he passed Joel off to Provenza. Provenza immediately handed him over to Tao, brushing cat hair off his suit. "Put him someplace safe."

"Let's go find your mommy, ok Joel?"

Tao found Brenda in her bedroom, curled on the bed with the phone to her ear. Not wanting to interrupt, he just put the cat down and exited the room, shutting the door behind him.

"You give her the cat?" Provenza asked.

"Yes."

"How's she looking?" Provenza asked.

"Hard to say. She's on the phone, with Fritz I'd imagine."

"Still?"

"I know you wouldn't know from experience, but that's what a GOOD marriage looks like," Flynn remarked.

"Oh shut up. Like you'd know either. Wiseass. What are you still doing here anyway?"

"We busted the front door down, remember? I'm fixing it."

"You'd do anything to get out of paperwork."

"And you wouldn't?"

What neither man would admit was avoiding paperwork had very little to do with it in this instance. She was their chief, and they felt it their duty to watch over her. More than that, she was family. They would not leave her alone or in the hands of strangers.

* * *

Fritz felt like he was rambling. He didn't even have any idea what he was talking about. But she wanted him to talk to her, so he did. Occasionally, he'd ask if she was still there, or still awake. She'd say yes, and he'd keep talking. About halfway through the flight, he heard a beep in his ear. He checked the phone's display and saw a "low battery" message flashing. He reached into his bag for the charger, nearly cursing when he realized it wasn't there. He was going to have to hang up.

"Honey, I'm so sorry, but the phone's battery is just about dead. I have to hang up. Will you be ok?"

"Yes," she replied softly.

"Are any of your people there with you?" Please, please don't let her be there all alone…

"Yes."

She did not sound right and his worry ratcheted up another notch. He did not want to sever the connection between them, but he didn't have a choice. His phone beeped at him again.

Brenda, I'll be there in a couple of hours, ok? Just as soon as I can. I'm coming, ok?

"Ok."

He felt awful, and he knew the phone was about the shut down. "I love you, Brenda. More than anything in the world."

"I love you, too."

And then the phone shut down. Damn it! He knew it wasn't true, but he felt like he'd abandoned her. He dropped his head into his hands in despair.

Why, why, WHY had he gone to DC? He never should have left. He should have been home. He should have protected her. He knew she was strong and capable, but he was her husband. Protecting her was part of his job description. She was the most precious thing in his life, and he felt like he'd failed her in this instance.

He realized he still really had no idea what happened. Brenda hadn't told him anything. In fact, she'd hardly spoken at all. And Provenza hadn't provided much information either. All sorts of awful scenarios ran through his mind to fill in the blanks. Then one fact slammed into his brain and stole his breath: Philip Stroh was a rapist. Had the bastard touched her? His stomach rolled, and he took deep breaths to try to keep from throwing up. But it did nothing to quell his panic and dread. Nothing would. He wouldn't be able to calm down until he saw her for himself, held her in his arms, and knew she was safe.

Again, he mentally kicked himself for being so far away. He wanted her in his arms _right now_. He needed to see her _right now_. He raked his hands through his hair in agitated frustration. My God, this was the longest flight ever. In the history of time. Couldn't this damn thing fly any faster? He was jumpy as hell. Someone asked if he wanted a drink. Did he ever. He had no idea where he got the fortitude to turn it down. He had a feeling he was going to need to call his sponsor after this and maybe go to a meeting. Or six.

* * *

Brenda felt bereft at the loss of Fritz's voice when his phone had died. He had kept her calm, kept her from being overwhelmed by the events of the day. It was all too much. She wiped at the tears that just kept coming and hugged Fritz's pillow tighter, burying her face in it to inhale his scent.

Joel jumped up onto the bed and rubbed against her. She pulled him closer and hugged him, taking some comfort in his purrs and soft fur. But she wanted Fritz. She needed someone to hold her together, and he was the only one who could.

She stared at the clock, counting the minutes. Each one passed so very slowly, and she didn't know how she could hold on. She listened to the officers and detectives moving around the house. It should have disturbed her, but right now it just meant she wasn't alone. She'd heard Flynn and Provenza bickering at each other a couple of times and she found it oddly comforting. It was just so normal and familiar and the rest of her world right now wasn't.

But she couldn't think about how things were changing right now. Stroh, her job, Mama, … A fresh wave of tears began, and she didn't even try to wipe them away. She forced herself to focus back on the clock and counting the minutes until Fritz would finally be here to save her.

* * *

At long long last, the plane landed in Los Angeles. Fritz bolted from his seat, his aim to get to his car and home as fast as humanly possible. But as he deplaned, he was pointed towards a Crown Vic in the distance and he saw Gabriel approaching him.

"Agent Howard."

"Sergeant. What happened? Have you seen her? Is she hurt?"

"She's ok. She's not hurt that I saw." He watched Fritz sag in relief, but look at him hungry for answers. "Let's go. I'll tell you on the way."

Gabriel hit the lights and siren and drove back toward the duplex as fast as he could.

"David, I need you to tell me what happened. Please."

"All of it, or just what happened at your house?"

What do you mean, 'all of it'?"

Oh crap, thought Gabriel. He doesn't know about earlier.

"Well…" Gabriel hesitated. How should he tell him this? He decided to just stick to the facts and get it out. "The Chief attacked Stroh this afternoon, in the elevators at headquarters."

"What?!"

"She'd had him in interview and hadn't gotten anything out of him. She just seemed off somehow. Not quite herself. And then he mentioned her mother."

Fritz was feeling sick. "What about her mother?"

"That he'd been keeping tabs on the Chief, like she had on him, and he, uh, wanted to say how sorry he was. It happened so fast. She lunged and rammed him face first into the back of the elevator and just went off on him. It took both me and Sanchez to pull her off. Her hands were covered in his blood, and then she just took off. I don't know where to."

Fritz was silent for long moments as he tried to take this in. Finally, his brain caught up.

"DNA."

"What?" asked Gabriel, confused.

"You didn't have DNA tying Stroh to anything, did you?"

"No." Realization dawned on Gabriel. "Oh my God… And knowing she had that, that could have been enough to set him off, to send him after her and Rusty."

"Yes, it could. Now please tell me what happened tonight."

Gabriel took a deep breath and continued. "I didn't hear all of her statement, but it looks like he got in through a window. He grabbed Rusty and put a knife to his throat, but the kid managed to break free. The Chief tried to get to her gun in her purse, and there was a struggle. Rusty got stabbed in the leg, and Stroh went for the Chief. She shot him through the purse. We found 4 casings - three of the four bullets hit him. He was unconscious by the time we got there." Gabriel decided to leave out some details about what happened after the police arrived at the house, especially about the Chief not wanting to relinquish her weapon.

Fritz took all of this in silently. But one thing haunted him. "David, did he… You know what he is. Did he, did he touch her?"

Gabriel swallowed hard. Oh God. He hadn't even thought of that. "I did not see any indication of that." They were approaching Brenda and Fritz's neighborhood now, and Gabriel breathed a sigh of relief that he wouldn't have to continue the narrative.

Gabriel pulled into the driveway, and Fritz was out of the car before it had fully stopped.

Fritz burst into the house. He saw Tao, Flynn, and Provenza sitting vigil in the living room. They rose as Fritz entered. "Where is she," he asked.

"In your bedroom." He ran down the hall and the detectives looked at each other. Fritz looked like hell. But they could only imagine how terrified he must have been to get a call like that while on the other side of the country.

Fritz paused at the bedroom door. He couldn't just charge in - he'd scare the hell out of her. He took a deep breath and knocked before carefully opening the door. "Brenda?" He saw her curled on their bed, and once she looked up at him, he was by her side in three quick strides. Heart pounding at the sight of her, alive and whole.

She could hardly believe her eyes. He was here. He was finally here. "Fritzy…"

He cupped her face gently in his hands and got a good look at her. She looked uninjured, but he broke at her eyes. Wet and fearful and weary. A sob escaped her and he pulled her into his arms. She clutched at his suit coat and held on for dear life.

They held each other in silence for a few minutes when Provenza knocked softly on the open door frame and cleared his throat. Fritz looked up.

"I've got 2 black and whites posted outside the house. They'll stay at least for tonight. Do you need anything before we go?"

"No. Thanks, Lieutenant."

Provenza nodded and made his exit, trying not to dwell on how very small his normally tough, fierce chief looked at that moment huddled in her husband's arms.

Brenda was so relieved to be in Fritz's arms. She'd been aching for this for hours. She finally stopped trying to hold it together and let go, great sobs wracking her small frame. Fritz pulled her even closer to him.

"It's ok, Brenda. It's ok. Shh… I'm right here. I've got you."

He rubbed her back and rocked her slightly before just pulling her into his lap to hold her as close as possible.

"Shh… It's ok. You're safe. It's all over. It's all over now."

_It's all over now._

His words echoed in her mind. All over. Not just the immediate incident, but her job, her career. It might really all be over now.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: HUGE thanks to everyone who is reading this and to those who are leaving reviews. I really appreciate it, and knowing at least a few people are getting some enjoyment out of my stories makes writing them worthwhile.

I have to admit I was uncertain of what the reception would be, both to stories and my writing in general. I'm not an author by any means. I hadn't written anything beyond work related stuff in years, and I was worried (and still worry) that my writing isn't very good. But thank you again to my readers and especially the reviewers. Whenever the New Review notification pops up in my email, I feel happy.

Now on with the (missing scenes from the) show...

* * *

Part 3:

Fritz reclined on the bed with Brenda in his arms. She'd stopped crying, but her breath occasionally hitched a little. Neither one got any sleep, and they spoke little. But he couldn't stop touching her, stroking her back, kissing her face and hair, reassuring himself that she was alive and trying to reassure her that she was safe.

The bedroom began to fill with light as the sun rose. They both knew this was going to be one hell of a day.

Fritz's stomach rumbled a bit. "How about some breakfast?"

"I'm not really hungry." Her head was starting to pound.

"Maybe just some toast and juice? Just to put something in your stomach. You know you'll feel worse if you don't."

"Ok," she agreed. She always got terrible headaches when she didn't eat at least a little something in the morning.

"Why don't you go take a nice hot shower while I get stuff together."

She nodded, then grimaced and moaned as she tried to move.

"Are you alright?"

"Just stiff is all." That was a gross understatement. She'd hit the floor hard when Stroh pulled her down, then got more roughed up than she realized during their struggle. Shock and adrenaline must have dulled the pain last night. Now she was wondering if she might have cracked a rib or two.

Fritz helped her up and guided her to the bathroom. She began to try to undress, but was hit by a stab of pain as she tried to raise her arms. Fritz had been gathering towels and turned at her sharp intake of breath.

"Brenda?"

"I guess I'm just a little banged up…"

Fritz grasped the hem of her shirt and gently lifted it off. It was his turn to gasp as he took in her body. Her torso was marred with huge deep purple bruises. "Oh, Brenda…" he exhaled as he ran gentle finger tips down her side. His breath stopped again as he saw the hand shaped bruises that had formed on her throat. He pulled her toward the window so he could get a closer look at her injuries in the morning light. When he felt her tense and freeze, he looked up to see her staring at the now closed window.

"He came in here, right through that window…" she said hoarsely.

Fritz pulled her close as he felt her tremble. He held her for a moment, then went to pull off his shirt. She looked at him questioningly.

"I think I need a shower too", he said as he finished undressing. He didn't want to leave her alone in here.

He helped her undress, uncovering still more bruises. They got into the shower and he held her under the warm spray. The hot water felt good on her aching muscles, and she closed her eyes and just let him take care of her. She leaned into him as his washed her hair with gentle hands, then carefully washed her body, mindful of the bruises.

After they'd dressed and had breakfast, Fritz drove them to the hospital. Brenda wanted to see Rusty, and Fritz wanted Brenda to get some x-rays. She'd objected, knowing that if she had in fact broken a rib, there wasn't much to do about it but take things easy until it mended. But the look in his eyes when he'd asked her to do it for him, for his peace of mind, made her reconsider and she agreed to get checked out.

It was amazing how fast ER wait times were reduced when you flashed a badge or two. Brenda was seen right away, and they were walking out of the ER in under an hour. An exam and x-rays confirmed two ribs had hairline fractures, but they would heal on their own.

The next stop was Rusty's room. Raydor was there, trying to convince him to cooperate with testifying. "Maybe you'll have better luck," she said to Brenda as she exited the room. Fritz also stepped out so Brenda and Rusty could talk.

"Are you ok?" Rusty asked her.

"Yes."

"You don't look ok."

"I have had better days."

Fritz leaned heavily against the wall outside Rusty's door. After a few minutes, he spotted Will Pope striding down the hall. His fear and tension from the past hours erupted into anger. "Why didn't you protect her?" he demanded as Pope drew near.

"What?" Pope was startled by the sudden confrontation.

"How did you not know he'd go after her? Where was the protection detail?"

"Fritz - "

"He told you he was watching her. He knew about her mother. I'm guessing he knew I was gone, too. And once he knew she had his DNA, it was just a matter of time before something happened."

Fritz turned on Raydor too. "Have a nice long look at your Johnson Rule, people. Worry about protecting slime like Stroh, but let innocent people be hurt. Both Rusty, your material witness by the way, and Brenda could have been killed!"

"Fritz, let's just calm down here." Pope did not want a scene.

"'Calm down'? You want me to 'calm down'? Really? How about this - you try getting notified, when you are thousands of miles away, that your wife has been attacked in your home by a serial rapist and murderer. Then see the bruises on her throat where the son of a bitch tried to strangle her and realize just how close you came to losing your entire world. Then let's see how calm you are. 'Calm down'? Yeah, right. "

"I care about her too, Fritz."

"And that's part of the problem right there, now isn't it."

Raydor saw that this was quickly escalating into something much, much bigger and head off in a direction she did not want to see. "Gentlemen! Please! Agent Howard, might I have a word with you?" He glared at Pope but turned his attention to her. She led him down the hall a few paces.

"Yes, Captain?"

"There are visible injuries on Chief Johnson?"

"Yes." He could still see them very clearly in his mind.

"I'd like to get those photographed. Just in case Stroh tries to pull something about self defense. He doesn't really have anything to stand on there - the attempted murder of a police officer isn't looked upon well by judges or juries. But if they can see photos with evidence of an assault on her as well, all the worse for him.

Raydor continued. "She needs to be interviewed by FID downtown anyway. I took her statement last night, but FID will need to do a full investigation. She'll almost certainly be cleared of the shooting, of course. We can get the photographs then, either before or after the interview."

"When do you want to do it?"

"The sooner the better."

Fritz sighed. "She hasn't slept…"

"Maybe we can take care of it now, when she's done here. Then she can go home and rest without having to come back downtown."

Frtiz nodded.

Brenda exited Rusty's room then, and when Raydor saw her, she began to rethink going downtown right away. The chief had some of the darkest circles under her eyes that Raydor had ever seen. "Chief, Agent Howard and I were just discussing your interview with FID. Maybe we could do that this evening or first thing tomorrow morning? You can get some rest first."

"I'd rather just go ahead and get it over with, if that's possible."

"Of course. Are you sure?"

"I'm not gonna be able to get much rest with it hangin' over my head."

A couple of hours later, Brenda was ready to drop. The FID interview had exhausted her. Going over every detail of both the incident in the elevator and Stroh's invasion in to her home made her already bad headache worse. Her head now felt like it was going to explode. But even worse than the interview was being asked to surrender her badge and her gun after she was told she was suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. She fought back tears as she reached into her purse, retrieved the items, and placed them on the table before her. It felt final somehow.

She wanted more than anything to go home and crawl into bed and hide under the covers. But she still had to have her injuries photographed. Part of her wanted to refuse, but she wanted to have as much ammo against Stroh as possible. If she was going to go down, she would take him with her.

Raydor took the photographs of Brenda's injuries herself, knowing she wouldn't want any type of audience for it. She had to hold in a gasp as she saw the severity of the bruises, and Brenda's comment that she had always bruised easily didn't allay her concern. Brenda appreciated Raydor's attempt to guard her privacy, but she still felt a sense of shame and humiliation at being so exposed, even though she knew it wasn't rational. It was evidence, and she had to think of it in that impersonal manner to keep from crumbling on the spot. Even though Raydor was efficient and tried to get through everything quickly, the process seemed to sap whatever strength and energy Brenda had left. She put her shirt back on and sank into a chair, putting her head into her hands. Raydor thanked her for cooperating with everything, and Brenda nodded slightly but didn't otherwise respond. She couldn't.

Raydor offered to get Fritz so he could take her home, and told Brenda she'd keep her updated on everything with FID and with Rusty. And she promised to keep her as much in the loop as she could about Stroh. Minutes later, Fritz was there with a warm hug that Brenda didn't realize just how much she needed until she got it.

Once they arrived home, Brenda finally got to crawl into bed and hide under the covers. She was asleep almost instantly. Fritz woke her once to try to get her to eat something, but otherwise let her sleep uninterrupted. He sat next to her and watched her sleep for a long time. He watched the rise and fall of her chest and gently held her hand, savoring the warmth of her skin, feeling so grateful his love was still with him. He felt his fatigue wash over him and he slid under the covers next to her. "I love you, sweetheart," he whispered as he pressed a soft kiss to her temple. Draping an arm around her waist, he drifted off to sleep.

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Well, so much for that 'prequel to Making Changes' thing. I wrote another convo between Fritz and Brenda about her future. Not that it might not have gone the other way, but I thought a slightly different conversation might be better, especially since I wrote the other before the episode aired and obviously didn't know about the reprimand or DA's job offer.

Thank you all again for reading and the reviews. I'm thrilled to death that people are actually reading my stories. I was worried no one would since Brenda/Sharon or Sharon/Flynn is so prevalent. (I have nothing against the pairings, it just made me wonder if there was simply no interest in Brenda/Fritz stuff anymore.)

* * *

Part 4:

Brenda slept most of the day away. She hadn't really slept well in weeks, since even before her mother died. Physical and emotional fatigue had finally caught up with her, and she crashed. She woke up a couple of times during the day, and Fritz got some food and water into her then tucked her back into bed. Then he'd hold her hand or spoon in behind her with his arms around her until she fell back asleep. But even though he was tired too, he didn't fall asleep himself.

Fritz was restless and agitated. He paced the house as he looked for something to occupy himself. He'd tried to read, to watch tv, but he couldn't focus. He didn't have to clean, since her squad had cleaned the place and scrubbed down the kitchen the other night. He didn't have to go to the store, or even cook anything. Tao's wife Kathy had sent him over with enough food to feed an army. All he had to do was heat stuff up.

It had been nearly two days and he still felt like he was shaking half the time. The fear he'd felt when the DC officers first notified him of the incident was still with him. As was the pull for a drink. He finally picked up the phone and called his AA sponsor. They spoke for a long time, with Fritz telling him everything that had been going on and how he felt about it. His sponsor eased him off the edge, but suggested he maybe go to a meeting. Fritz didn't want to leave a note and have Brenda wake up alone or wake her up to tell her he was going to a meeting. He knew she'd feel guilty and blame herself, and he didn't want to put that on her.

"I can't turn this into being about me. And I won't leave her right now," Fritz said.

"Well, you can't take care of her if you don't take care of yourself. Just think about it," his sponsor replied.

They hung up then, and Fritz knew he was right. He'd wait a day or two, then make an excuse and go to a meeting. He didn't want to lie or deceive her, but she always felt like she was the one driving him to drink when he went to a meeting. She didn't need that right now. And he'd just feel guilty for making her feel guilty.

He felt better than he did before he made the call though. And he realized he felt calmer when he could see her. So he settled into a chair in the bedroom and aimlessly surfed the web for awhile. Thank God for Netflix, he thought as he found something that could partially hold his attention. But being that restless for most of the day can be exhausting, and by 9:00 he decided to just go to bed. He slid under the covers next to her and put an arm around her. She settled closer to him without waking. The physical connection to her calmed him even more. I should just keep her in my arms all the time, he thought as he sleep overcame him.

Hours later, a thump from somewhere in the house startled her awake.

"Fritz!" she whispered urgently. "Fritz!" She shook him awake.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I heard something. Like someone's in here."

That woke him up. He reached for his gun in the bedside table. "I'll go check. You stay here."

Weapon drawn, he went to check each room. There was no one there. The doors and windows were all shut tight. Joel was on his nightly prowl though, so Fritz assumed he'd just knocked something over, which was not an unusual occurrence.

He went back to the bedroom.

"It's ok. No one's here. Just Joel the mighty hunter."

"Are you sure? What about the doors and windows?"

"Closed and locked." He watched as she got up and started turning on lights. She looked terrified.

He guided her back to the bed and put his arms around her after he laid back down. He held her close, rubbing her back, trying to ease the tension he felt in her body. She was so jumpy, starting at any noise, even the sound of the air conditioning kicking on. Finally, he got back out of bed and pulled her up.

"Come with me."

He took her hand and led her room to room, turning on lights as they went. "See? No one here but us." She was trembling the whole time.

"I'm sorry I'm being so stupid," she muttered.

"Hey, hey, you're not," he said as he slid his arms around her waist. "You went through a traumatic experience. It's not stupid or irrational to be scared. It would be strange if you weren't."

She nodded, but tears had formed in her eyes.

"Hey, it's ok." He hugged her tight. She held on just as tightly. "We're safe, honey. I'm right here, and I won't let anything hurt you.

She got back in to bed with him and cuddled up close. She listened to his breathing even out as he fell asleep. She slid a little closer to him, and when he tightened his arms around her in his sleep, she finally felt safe enough to fall back asleep herself.

* * *

The next couple of days were filled with phone calls. She spoke frequently with Raydor, about Rusty and her suspension, and a member of her squad called every so often, trying to pretend they weren't checking in on her.

During a phone call with Raydor, Brenda finally mustered up the courage to ask the million dollar question. "Am I going to be fired?"

"Possibly, but not likely. You have nothing in your record of any excessive force toward suspects. Not here in LA or in Atlanta or DC. And considering you've dealt with some of the worst humanity has to offer for nearly two decades, that's pretty impressive. I've also argued that your success rate should count heavily in your favor. And you'll probably hate this, but I can also play up an "emotional strain" angle, what with the leak in your division and your mother's recent death. There will have to be some disciplinary action, but more along the lines of an additional suspension rather than termination. I'm doing everything I can."

"Thank you Captain. I appreciate it."

"Well, you might not when I tell you what the city attorneys had to say."

Fritz walked in a little while later to find Brenda pacing agitatedly in the living room. She had her "angry face" on. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Brenda relayed what Raydor had told her about the city attorneys insisting on a formal reprimand which would go in her permanent record.

"I don't want this, this black mark on my name. Like the "Johnson Rule" isn't bad enough! I'm already upset enough about bein' suspended. Do you know how humiliatin' it was to be asked to turn in my badge and gun?"

Fritz nodded. He'd had to do it himself once upon a time. He took her hand and squeezed it.

"You'll get them back, honey."

"Maybe I don't want 'em back."

She sighed, then sank down onto the couch, her ire draining out of her. Fritz sat on the coffee table facing her and took her hand again.

"There's a job openin', at the DA's office - Chief of the Bureau of Investigation. I've been offered it."

"Is that something you'd want?"

"Well, I'd be Chief, so there's that. No one like Pope or Taylor tryin' to tell me what to do all the time. And I wouldn't have to be some bureaucrat. I could still do some investigatin', if I want."

"Sounds like a pretty good deal to me."

"But what about my team? How can I leave them? They're not just my employees they're, they're…" she trailed off as tears filled her eyes and she choked up.

"They're family," Fritz finished.

She nodded.

He sat next to her on the couch and put his arm around her. She sank into him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"You know what they good thing is about family?" Fritz continued. "They never leave you. I don't know if you know, but your guys stayed here with you that night. They even cleaned up everything so you wouldn't have to look at it. So even if you're not working together every day, they will still be your family. You don't have to give them up."

"They said I could appoint someone to be liaison with the LAPD. I could take David with me."

"I think that would be good, for both of you."

She wiped her tears and cuddled more into his side.

"What do you think? Of me maybe takin' that job?" she asked him.

"Me?"

"Well, yeah. This affects you, too."

This was a change. Usually she just charged ahead with her decisions. He was thrilled she was letting him in.

"Well, the protective husband in me is all for having you safely behind a desk instead of a gun. But the supportive husband just wants you to be happy. Could you be happy not being a cop?"

"I'm not that happy at work right now. I'm feelin' like I'm bein' boxed in. And I don't think I can work for Taylor. He's an even bigger pain in the you-know-what than Pope. And the bein' a cop part, that's not so important to me. Well, it is, but what's really important is gettin' justice for victims, puttin' the perpetrators away. I can still do that at the B of I. And, I wouldn't have to listen to the "bad men" so much anymore or be under so much pressure to get everythin' done right away to make an arrest, cuz they'll have already been arrested. Heck, I might even be able to work more normal hours, get home at a decent time in the evenin'. "

"Well, I like that."

"I want to spend more time with you."

"I definitely like that."

"Well, I'd hope so. But sometimes I still can't believe you didn't run screamin' long ago."

"Well, I love you. You're stuck with me, honey."

"Good," she replied as she kissed him.

They talked long into the the evening, debating and weighing the pros and cons of the LAPD vs the DA's office.

"It sounds like you've pretty much made up your mind," Fritz said as they were going to bed.

"Yeah, I think I have. It's hard, though."

"Change always is."

Shortly after they fell asleep, a nightmare plowed through, waking them both when she screamed. He calmed her the way he always did, with a warm hug, gentle hands stroking her hair and back, and softly spoken words of reassurance and love.

She pillowed her head on his chest as he hugged her, and she listened to his heart beat as he fell back to sleep. After awhile, she raised herself on one elbow and just watched him sleep, She still couldn't quite believe she had someone so completely wonderful in her life. After all she'd done, she really didn't deserve him, but she was so grateful to God and any other higher power that he was here. With her. Loving her, no matter what.

She lightly caressed his handsome face, and leaned in to press a soft kiss to his lips. He stirred, and woke.

"Brenda?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"What is it?"

"I was just thinkin' how much I love you. How lucky I am to have you."

"The feeling is mutual, you know," he said as he turned on his side to face her and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"I do know. And I'm so glad."

They kissed, softly at first, and then it became more intense. She slid her hands under his t-shirt and began to try to pull it off.

Despite the fact that his body was responding, he pulled back. "Wait, wait a minute. Your ribs…"

"It'll be ok - we'll just be careful." She claimed his lips again.

They undressed each other, Fritz being so careful with her it made her heart ache. He placed kisses on all her bruises, and when he got to the ones on her throat, she felt him tremble. "I could have lost you…"

She cupped his face in her hands and tilted it up slightly so she could make eye contact. "I'm right here. You haven't lost me. You're stuck with me, honey."

He smiled as she repeated his words from earlier. "Thank God."

Their lips met again, and soon their bodies joined. As always, it felt like coming home. After, they lay entwined, still softly kissing and caressing, until they each slid into a peaceful slumber. There would be no more nightmares tonight.

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I had a lot of trouble with this chapter and wrapping up this story. I just couldn't get it quite right and don't know if it still is. But I did feel like it was time to wrap up this particular tale. Anyway, hope you enjoy my ending.

* * *

Part 5:

It turned out that the reprimand the city attorneys insisted on would not go away, which finalized Brenda's decision. She would resign from the LAPD and accept the offer from the DA's office, taking some time for her father in Atlanta in the interim. She started trying to draft her resignation letter that afternoon, and Fritz came home from work to find her at the dining table with empty ding dong wrappers and a nearly empty bottle of merlot.

"It's done," she said when he sat next to her. "Raydor tried, but the attorneys won't budge. And Pope? Well, I don't think he even tried at all."

"I'm sorry, honey."

"It's for the best anyways." she said, as bravely a she could. "I, it's,…" Fritz saw her chin and lower lip tremble and he gathered her into his arms as she broke down.

"Do you think I'm doin' the right thing?" she asked later, after the tears had slowed.

"I'm not sure I can answer that for you. What does your heart tell you?"

"That I need to focus on the living for a change."

"There you go, then.

She nodded and hugged him tighter as a fresh wave of tears started. Sometimes, doing the right thing hurt.

* * *

Fritz was watching TV in the living room the next evening when Brenda wandered in from their bedroom, where she'd spent the last hour on the phone with her father. Fritz held out his hand and she sat down on the couch next to him. He put his arm around her and she nestled into his side, sighing a little as she melted into him.

"How's your dad?"

"Oh, you know Daddy. He'll act like he's fine whether he is or not."

"I'll bet he was happy when you told him you'd be coming out to Atlanta for awhile."

"I don't think he really believes it. But yes, he sounded really happy."

"What did he say when you told him you were going to quit your job?"

Brenda hesitated a moment. "Well, I didn't tell him."

"Brenda…"

"YET. I didn't tell him yet. We'll talk when I get out there. I didn't really want to get into it over the phone, and I'm just not ready to answer some of the questions I know he'll have yet."

He leaned over to kiss her head. There were questions she hadn't yet been able to answer for him either. But he decided to leave it alone for now. Instead, he asked, "Did you get your flight booked?"

"Yeah. I just got a one-way ticket for now."

"How long were you thinking of being gone?"

"I don't know. It kind of depends on Daddy. How he's doing with the cancer and without Mama. And at some point, we'll drive each other completely nuts and he'll probably send me packin'. But the DA's office has been really great, tellin' me to take whatever time I need to get things settled before I start with them. And I talked to Raydor. Stroh will be hospitalized for awhile, so it's gonna be a few weeks before I'd have to testify."

She shuddered a bit at the mention of Stroh, and Fritz pulled her closer to him and kissed her again. He didn't like thinking about that bastard either.

"Fritz?"

"Yeah?"

"You will come out to Atlanta sometime while I'm there, won't you?"

"Of course I will. Someone will need to referee you and your father."

She smiled, but only a little, then took his hand and traced his wedding ring with her finger. "We've never really been apart before. Not like this."

She looked as sad about that as he felt. "I know." It was his turn to trace her rings.

"I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you, too." He wrapped both arms around her and kissed her deeply. "I'll miss you so much." He kissed her again, as deeply as before, and she tumbled into his lap.

"I guess I'll just have to give you plenty to remember me by." She began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Is this part of your new focus on the living?"

"It's a start."

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and sunny. Today was the day. Her last with the LAPD.

She was jittery, her stomach fluttering. She felt nervous and sad, but also strangely relieved. She was all too aware of the toll her job had taken on her and those she loved. But nerves were at the forefront. She declined the breakfast Fritz had offered and sifted through her closet, uncharacteristically unsure of what to wear. She decided to forego her usual flowery skirts and feminine vintage suits in favor of a more conservative dark suit with a bold blouse. A "power suit", so to speak. She hoped it would give her a little extra confidence to get through the day.

Fritz watched her as she got ready. She'd had another nightmare last night, and she was very quiet this morning. He was concerned but he knew she had so much on her mind and left her to her thoughts. He continued to watch the emotions play across her face while he got ready himself.

A little later, he brought her a cup of coffee while she brushed her hair and left it along with a kiss on her cheek. She grabbed his hand before he could walk away and pulled him to her and kissed him. "You're the best, you know that? What would I ever do without you?"

"You'd have to get your own coffee, for one thing."

She smiled, and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Fritz, I-I want to thank you, for everything."

"You don't have to thank me."

"No, no I do. I don't think I could do this without you." She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Sometimes, you're all that holds me together. You're the only one, besides Mama and Daddy, who's ever been there for me 100%. And I appreciate it so, so much."

Tears pricked at his eyes, too. "And I appreciate that you do count on me and will make sure that you always can." He hugged her to him and held her for long minutes until he noticed the clock.

"Are you ready to go?"

"No. But we better leave if we're gonna get there on time."

Brenda stared out the car window in silence while Fritz drove them downtown, nerves eating at her. Fritz noticed her chewing her lower lip, and he reached over and took her hand.

"I'm glad you're with me," she said as they parked.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else."

He continued to hold her hand while they entered the building and rode up in the elevator to Pope's office.

"I'll pack up your office for you, honey, if you want," he offered as they stepped into the hall. He knew it would be difficult for her.

"Thank you. I really don't think I'd be able to do it."

"For what it's worth, I really do think you're making the right decision," Fritz said. "I'm worried that staying here, with the direction things are going, might break you."

Brenda nodded. "Will as much as told me to put my resume out there a few weeks ago, right before Mama died. He said he was afraid I'd "burn myself up" if I stayed."

"For once, I agree with him. I think, maybe, you already have a little."

"I think so, too."

Fritz pulled her into his arms and gave her a supportive hug and kissed her. "You can do this," he said as she looked toward Pope's office with trepidation on her face.

Yes, she could do this. She smoothed her suit jacket, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door to Pope's office for the last time.

It went as well as it could have. Pope knew the moment she walked in what her final decision was, but it didn't make hearing it any easier. But before things could get emotional or he could try to talk her out of leaving, she turned the subject to transferring Gabriel to the DA's office with her and asked Pope to call him in. Gabriel was stunned that Brenda was really leaving the LAPD, but still more stunned that she wanted to take him with her to her new job. He couldn't believe that even after the leak she still trusted him that much.

Brenda stepped out of Pope's office and leaned against the wall for a moment as the finality hit her. But as hard as resigning was, her next stop was even harder. Her tears started on her way to the murder room, and she had to duck into the ladies room to pull herself together before facing her squad. It was going to be so hard to say goodbye to them.

And it was hard. But they seemed to understand why she needed to go, no matter how much they wanted her to stay. And then came the wonderful gift. As if working with them for seven years hadn't been a treasure. But the gift was perfect, in the way it can only be when people really know and care about each other. It did indeed look like love.

She went to hug each of her boys tightly, one after another.

"I hated you when you came. Now I hate that you're leaving," Flynn told her as he blinked back a few tears.

Neither Tao nor Buzz made any effort to hide their tears as they told her how much they would miss her and Sanchez, too choked up to speak at all, simply gathered her into a hug that threatened to cut off her air supply.

Provenza placed a hand on Sanchez's shoulder as he let her go. "We'll all miss you, Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh," he said in as sincere a tone as she'd ever heard him use. He hugged her as he felt his own eyes sting with tears.

"That's 'Chief', now, Provenza," Gabriel interjected. "She'll be running the show over there."

"Heaven help them."

"And us, without you," added Tao as he grasped her hand.

Her tears were starting to spill over again, and she knew she would break down completely if she didn't make her exit.

"I, I've been blessed to work with y'all. Just so blessed." Her voice choked, and she fought valiantly to recover. "Well, Fritz is waitin'…"

"Try not to get into too much trouble in Atlanta, Chief," said Flynn.

"Y'all come back now, ya hear?" added Provenza in a completely awful southern accent.

She laughed through her tears. "You can count on it, Lieutenant."

With that, she turned and made her way to the elevators, digging into her present for a taste of sweet comforting chocolate.

When she got to the parking lot, Fritz was leaning against the car waiting for her. He opened his arms slightly, and she walked right into them, relishing the feeling as he held her.

He hugged her tightly. "You ok?"

"I feel about a million different things right now. Part of me just wants to run right back up there and say I'm stayin'."

"What about the rest of you?"

She thought for a moment. Something had changed when she had walked out of the building. "I feel… free."

He smiled and kissed her, laughing to himself when he tasted chocolate. "Let's get out of here."

He opened the car door for her and kissed her again as he helped her in and again after he got in and started the car.

She looked out the window at headquarters as they pulled away. "I can't believe this is the end."

"It all depends how you look at it, honey. This is just one big chapter. As for what's next - "

She took his hand and smiled. "It's the beginning."

* * *

A/N: Thank you all so much for reading. And it's not the end of my writing either. I've got a couple ideas for other stories to continue things. For one thing, Brenda has to go to Atlanta. I just need to find the time to get her there and back. I'm working on chapter 1, but work has gone crazy so I can't promise to do anything but try!


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